- Saturday, 23 May, 2026
- Almaty 48 °F / 9 °C
- Astana 64 °F / 18 °C
ASTANA — Kazakhstan has allocated 13.3 billion tenge (US$26.16 million) to prepare its national teams for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy, said Kazakh Minister of...
ASTANA – Eight leading OPEC+ producers agreed to maintain current oil output levels through February and March 2026, extending a pause on production increases due to seasonal...
ASTANA — In a Jan. 5 interview with the Turkistan newspaper, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined the key outcomes of 2025 and set priorities for the year ahead, stressing...
ALMATY — Kazakhstan has launched a new information platform to improve transparency and access to its bond market for both international and local investors, as foreign interest...
ASTANA — Kazakhstan is projected to maintain economic growth in 2026, but at a slower and more balanced pace amid inflationary pressure and tighter financial conditions. According...
ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s athletes delivered another successful year in the country’s sporting history in 2025, achieving breakthroughs across football, boxing, tennis and winter sports. From historic firsts...
ASTANA — From global pop concerts and major film productions to historical anniversaries and new cultural institutions, 2025 saw Kazakhstan’s cultural life unfold across stages, screens, museums...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan in 2025 was marked by major political, economic, technological and cultural developments that directly affected daily life. The Astana Times rounds up some of...
ASTANA — In 2025, Kazakhstan’s foreign policy moved beyond tactical engagement and incremental cooperation toward a broader strategic recalibration. The year was marked not only by a...
ASTANA — Kazakhstan emerged as the leading destination for new investment projects in North and Central Asia in 2025, attracting nearly $19 billion in greenfield investment and...
ASTANA — Throughout 2025, Kazakhstan was actively involved in international diplomacy, multilateral initiatives, and domestic political processes. The year was marked by high-level summits, participation in UN...
ASTANA — Kazakhstan made significant progress in healthcare and environmental protection this year, with government reforms and national programs delivering precise results that improved public health, expanded...
ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s Grandmaster Bibisara Assaubayeva, 21, won her third world blitz title at the 2025 FIDE Women’s World Blitz Chess Championship on Dec. 30 in Qatar....
ASTANA — Short-track speed skaters Denis Nikisha and Yana Khan will carry Kazakhstan’s flag at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan, said...
ALMATY — Japan will provide more than 1.087 billion yen (approximately US$7 million) in grant assistance to support the development of healthcare infrastructure in Kazakhstan’s Abai Region,...
ALMATY — Kazakhstan’s IT exports reached $1 billion in 2025, reflecting rapid growth in the country’s digital economy, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and...
ALMATY — Kazakhstan expanded its international engagement and achieved its strongest economic growth in a decade in 2025, President’s Press Secretary Ruslan Zheldibay wrote in a year-end...
ASTANA — The Kazakh capital will celebrate New Year’s Eve with a series of festive concerts featuring Kazakh pop stars and bands across ten locations in six...
ASTANA — State Counselor Erlan Karin said 2025 became a year of institutional consolidation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s reforms in Kazakhstan, summarizing the year in a Dec....
ASTANA – Kazakhstan attracted $10.55 billion in investment in the first six months of the year, underscoring the country’s continued investment appeal despite ongoing geopolitical instability. In...
ASTANA — A young scientist from Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) in Almaty has scientifically proven the antidiabetic properties of chicory, opening new prospects for plant-based health...
ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s Mazhilis has adopted 100 laws this year, including landmark legislation on artificial intelligence, Mazhilis Chairman Yerlan Koshanov said while summarizing the year’s results on...
ASTANA – The Kazakh capital plans to launch an autonomous taxi service. A memorandum of cooperation on the development of autonomous taxi services was signed in the...
ASTANA — Damage to an Embraer 190 aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) that crashed near Aktau on Dec. 25 last year was likely caused by damaging...
ASTANA — The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) wrapped up 2025 with strong investment growth and expanding market activity, raising $6 billion through the center during the...
ASTANA — Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev visited the United Nations Regional Center for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan on Dec. 26 during...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s civil aviation sector recorded steady growth in 2025, driven by improvements in safety, passenger traffic and international cooperation, said Chair of the Civil Aviation...
ASTANA – Kazakh films are gaining a growing audience across Central Asia, as the country’s film industry builds on a preserved production base and a new generation...
ALMATY — As New Year holidays approach, citizens of Kazakhstan are increasingly choosing a mix of warm seaside destinations abroad and winter resorts at home to celebrate...
Imagine you are working for a government agency, undergoing training, improving your qualifications, and building a career. Then comes maternity leave — six months, maybe three years....
ASTANA — Kazakhstan has created its first DNA bank for the national dog breeds Tazy and Tobet, following several years of nationwide genetic research aimed at preserving...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan unveiled the E-museum digital portal at the National Museum of Kazakhstan on Dec. 24, marking a step toward creating a unified online space for...
ASTANA — Two world-renowned architecture firms, Zaha Hadid Architects and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), known for landmark projects such as Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, New York’s...
ASTANA – Fourteen-year-old Kazakh tennis player Ahmadi Makhanov has been named Overseas Player of the Year (non-European category) by the Tennis Europe Tour, reported the Kazakhstan Tennis...
ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov on Dec. 26 to review the preliminary results of Kazakhstan’s socio-economic development in 2025 and assess...
ALMATY — Investment in Kazakhstan’s tourism sector increased by 38.1% to 923 billion tenge (approximately US$2 billion) in the January-October 2025 period, as the country recorded steady...
ALMATY — Kazakhstan’s economy expanded by 6.4% in the January-November 2025 period, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov said at a Dec. 25 meeting of the Economic Policy Council,...
ALMATY – The Astana Times has selected key articles from international media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest highlights Nazarbayev University’s growing global profile, reforms...
Last year, I returned to the Irtysh River in eastern Kazakhstan, a place I knew as a child for its vast, powerful current. Back then, the river...
ASTANA — The final days of December bring a full calendar of festive events to Astana and Almaty, from classical ballet and art exhibitions to winter festivals,...
ASTANA – The Kyrgyz Republic commissioned its first solar power plant in the Kemin district of the Chui Region on Dec. 24, with President Sadyr Japarov attending...
ASTANA — Kazakhstan has signed more than $70 billion in commercial agreements following international meetings this year, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during a Dec. 25 visit to...
ROME — A Georgian company plans to launch ferry services between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan starting in 2026, with the first vessels operating across the Caspian Sea between...
ASTANA – Exports of Georgian goods to Kazakhstan reached $849.9 million in January-November, up 6.8% from the same period in 2024, placing Kazakhstan among Georgia’s top three...
ASTANA – For 12 years, Shakhmardan Yessenov Foundation, established by entrepreneur and philanthropist Galimzhan Yessenov, has been working to boost the nation’s intellectual development. From its inception,...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan established three new special economic zones, including Korkyt Ata, Aktobe and Atyrau in 2025 as part of efforts to strengthen investment attraction, announced QazIndustry,...
ASTANA — While global foreign direct investment (FDI) fell 11% in 2024, Chinese investment in Eurasia continued to rise, reaching record levels in Central Asia, according to...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan plans to invest $2.6 billion in deep grain processing projects by 2028 as part of a broader effort to shift its agriculture sector toward...
ROME — With less than 50 days remaining until the opening of the 2026 Winter Olympics, spectators planning to attend events in Italy must navigate a fully...
When headlines feel heavy and the world sees more fragmentation than ever, it’s tempting to believe that a multilateral system is falling apart. Rising geopolitical tensions, eroding...
ALMATY — Kazakhstan has emerged as the leading country in Central Asia in terms of readiness to adopt and govern artificial intelligence (AI), ranking 60th out of...
ASTANA — This year marks the 135th birthday of Mustafa Shokai, one of the most important and inspiring figures in early 20th-century Kazakh politics. He was a...
ASTANA — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined key priorities for Astana’s economic, technological, and urban development during a meeting on the capital’s future, highlighting that the city’s gross...
ALMATY — The Mangystau Region ranked third nationwide in attracting foreign tourists in 2025, with more than 350,000 visitors recorded in the January-September 2025 period, Mangystau region...
ALMATY — Astana’s daily public transport ridership has reached 1.1 million passengers in 2025, marking a 37% increase compared to 2024, Astana Akim (Mayor) Zhenis Kassymbek said...
ALMATY — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev invited the United States President Donald Trump to visit Kazakhstan during a phone conversation held on Dec. 23, expressing confidence that such...
ALMATY — Kazakhstan’s oil pipeline operator KazTransOil has expanded cooperation with European partners to ensure stable transit of Kazakh oil to Germany, following the signing of a...
ALMATY — The United States and Kazakhstan are expanding their civil nuclear energy partnership with new initiatives focused on small modular reactors (SMRs), workforce development, and feasibility...
ASTANA — Iran’s President paid an official visit to Kazakhstan on Dec. 11, highlighting Tehran’s growing focus on Central Asia amid intensifying global competition. For Kazakhstan and...
ALMATY — Kazakhstan commemorates the 115th anniversary of Bauyrzhan Momyshuly on Dec. 24, honoring the legacy of the legendary commander of the Great Patriotic War, a national...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has ranked among the top ten countries worldwide in reducing mortality from noncommunicable diseases. According to the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Europe,...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has established a State Debt Management Council to improve coordination of public borrowing and develop the government securities market, the Ministry of Finance reported...
ASTANA – The Light Rail Transit (LRT) system is expected to complete its testing phase and enter full operation within the next few months, Astana mayor (governor)...
ASTANA – The World Boxing International Federation has announced its nominees for Boxer of the Year, with two athletes from Kazakhstan’s national team making the shortlist, reported...
ASTANA – Kazakhstan will become the world’s second-largest producer of gallium after Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) signed a long-term supply agreement with Mitsubishi Corporation RtM Japan Ltd....
ASTANA – Kazakhstan has started a nationwide human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization campaign in September 2024 as part of broader efforts to curb cervical cancer, a disease that...
ASTANA — A new regional platform has been launched in Central Asia to advance economic research and expert support. Nazarbayev University, New Uzbekistan University and American University...
ALMATY — Kazakhstan has attracted 579 billion tenge (approximately US$1.08 billion) in investments into fixed capital in the water sector over the past two years, as the...
ALMATY — Refineries operated by KazMunayGas (KMG) have reached historic highs in oil processing and production of petroleum products, driven by higher operational efficiency and modernization efforts,...
ALMATY — Ancient geoglyphs in Kazakhstan’s Turgai Trough in northern Kazakhstan once again demonstrated their connection to solar cycles on Dec. 21, the day of the winter...
ALMATY — Google has launched its artificial intelligence model Gemini in the Kazakh language, expanding access to advanced AI tools for users in Kazakhstan, the Ministry of...
ALMATY – Kazakhstan will assume the chairmanship of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in 2026, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at the Dec. 21 meeting of the Supreme...
ALMATY — Kazakhstan’s passport has strengthened its standing in global mobility rankings in 2025, offering visa-free access to 79 countries and leading Central Asia in international travel...
When Finland’s leader Alexander Stubb showed up in Kazakhstan lately, folks figured it would be just another standard meet-and-greet. But things played out differently: the trip actually...
ASTANA – Kazakh ornament has always been more than decoration. For centuries, the swirling motifs etched into leather, stitched onto felt, or woven into textiles carried the...
ALMATY – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined Kazakhstan’s strategic vision for expanding political, economic, and technological cooperation during the first Central Asia–Japan Summit in Tokyo on Dec. 20,...
ASTANA — In eastern Kazakhstan, 15-year-old Aizere Markskyzy is continuing a centuries-old tradition of falconry, working with golden eagles and Kazakh tazy dogs as part of her...
ASTANA – The cost of a standard festive grocery basket in Kazakhstan will amount to roughly 70,000 tenge (US$136) by the end of 2025. This is an...
ALMATY – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered a landmark lecture at the United Nations University (UNU) in Tokyo on Dec. 19, becoming the first head of state from...
ASTANA — Kazakhstan’s national oil and gas company KazMunayGas (KMG) and the Croatian Hydrocarbon Agency (CHA) agreed to strengthen cooperation in geological exploration. This was announced during...
ALMATY — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s official trip to Japan continued with a series of meetings with senior executives of leading Japanese corporations, resulting in new momentum for...
ASTANA — Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), a Luxembourg-headquartered global metals and mining company, increased its investments in Kazakhstan to nearly $1 billion, according to the company. The...
ALMATY – The Astana Times has selected key articles from international media outlets covering Kazakhstan. This week’s foreign media digest features Kazakhstan’s push into next-generation air mobility...
ASTANA – The Islamic Organization for Food Security (IOFS) marked IOFS Day and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Food Security Day with a high-level roundtable on...
ALMATY – Kazakhstan and Japan elevated their cooperation in digital innovation, smart city development, and high-tech investment during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s official visit to on Dec. 18–19,...
Kazakhstan has been strengthening state–society consultation over the past decade through a broad range of institutional and digital mechanisms. Efforts to enhance participatory governance include the establishment...
ALMATY — Analysts at the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) expect Kazakhstan’s economy to maintain steady and resilient growth of nearly 5.5% in 2026, while Central Asia as...
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Dec. 18 at the Prime Minister’s Office to discuss prospects for bilateral cooperation, reported...
ALMATY — Over the past four years, the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has solidified its position as the regional leader in non-sovereign financing, with $8.8 billion in...
ASTANA — As the holiday season approaches, residents of Astana and Almaty can enjoy a festive weekend full of concerts, children’s shows, theatrical premieres, and winter-themed activities....
ASTANA – Tajikistan’s population increased by 26% over the past decade, reaching 10.7 million people, said Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in his annual address to parliament on...
ASTANA – The Kazakh capital will light more than 40 New Year’s trees simultaneously across six districts on Dec. 19 as part of citywide celebrations held under...
ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Emperor Naruhito of Japan on Dec. 18 during his first official visit to the country, reported the Akorda press service....
ASTANA — From venture capital and green startups to critical minerals, education, and cultural diplomacy, the United Kingdom (UK) is recalibrating its engagement with Kazakhstan. In an...
ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s FC Kairat has been recognized as one of the 500 best football clubs in the world, according to the global ranking of the International...
ALMATY — President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has outlined a comprehensive set of priorities aimed at strengthening Kazakhstan’s energy sector, emphasizing large-scale infrastructure projects, energy independence, environmental modernization, and...
ALMATY – Tajikistan has entered a new stage of stability and regional confidence, President Emomali Rahmon said in his annual address to the parliament, emphasizing that 2025...
ALMATY – Kazakhstan’s grain exporters are encouraged to begin shipping new-season wheat before the end of 2025 to qualify for transport reimbursement payments scheduled for early 2026....
ALMATY — Kazakhstan continues to broaden its international flight network, as the Ministry of Transport announced the launch of new air routes to Thailand and Georgia, alongside...
ALMATY — Capital investments in Kazakhstan increased by 13.3% year-on-year to reach 18.5 trillion tenge (approximately US$40.7 billion) in January–November 2025 period, driven primarily by private-sector activity,...
